4 Months old!!!

Madison just came home from her 4 month old check up! I cannot believe how quickly she is growing. She can roll over and loves to stand up (with help of course). Her hands and feet are her favorite toys other than Douglas P Cuddlehorse and her sunflower. She is very vocal and loves the sound of her own voice. She weighed in at 12lbs 8 ounces and 25.5 inches long. She is in the 90th percentile for height and 25th for weight....doc says she's gonna be long and lean! <3

The doc still wants us to have the reflux test done on her kidneys but we will wait until she is at least 6 months old. She can start having rice cereal now, and we can introduce solids during the next couple months, but she is getting all she needs from the breast milk. Dr. said we may have better luck with her sleeping longer at night if she is in her own room...but I am not ready for that yet.

1 year ago tomorrow...

3/8/08 My wedding day! We had a Papaw/ granddaughter dance and I sang in his ear as we danced to the Judd's "grandpa"

Papaw in the 70's

Mid 80's at a ranch in TX

My high school graduation day!

1986 at the KOA that he and Nana owned in Fredericksburg TX

1989 fishing in MI

1 year ago tomorrow my Papaw went to be with the Lord. In the midst of our pain my mother and I deemed July 27th to be the worst day ever. We ached and cried out for our loving patriarch. I can remember the wee hours of July 27th like they were yesterday. We told Nana to go get some sleep in the guest room, and I laid in my grandparents bed with my mom and dad, as we all stared at Papaw. He was laying in his hospital bed, thin under his sheet and pale. Around 4 or 5 am I couldn't handle listening to his breathing any longer and I moved to the couch. Not even 30 seconds later, he was gone. I remember praying for the Lord to take him, take his pain away. And then all I could do was pray for him to bring him back! I wanted my Papaw back here with me!!! And I still do. I wish he was here with us and that he could see Madison (who is named after him) and that he could see what an amazing little girl Bethany is growing into. But then I realize that he knows Madison, because he got to meet her in heaven before she came to live with us!

Last night I read a book called Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo. It is an amazing account of a little boy who became very ill and got to see what heaven is like. This book gave me amazing clarity and peace that my Papaw is doing just fine. And the little boy said that nobody is old in heaven, which is awesome because ladies let me tell you when my Papaw was younger he was a hottie.

Something amazing happened for our family on July 26th. The day before Papaw passed away we were all there. My Parents, Nana, Uncle Carl, and Carli. We sat in Nana and Papaw's bedroom and sang worship songs with our amazing friends Karen and Cody Greathouse. Cody prayed over Papaw, and then the most amazing thing happened. Mom was in the kitchen, and I was on the bed. Papaw sat up all on his own (something he hadn't done in weeks) and shouted "Kimberle, RyRy Come on, let's go." I asked him where we were going and he didn't anwser. Mom asked him if we were going to a horse show and he said yeah that's right. I will never forget watching my Papaw's soul leave his body. At that moment he left his earthly body and went to the big horse show in the sky. He layed back down and didn't speak or move again. He was in a kind of catatonic state, he heart was still beating, but he was gone.

I am not writing this to make my Mom sad, and I know she will cry when she reads this. I am writing this for myself. It has been said that I haven't dealt with his death. And in a way that is true. But I think because of the amazing event that happened when I held his hand, I know that he is in heaven. I celebrate his life and the amazing grandfather that we was to me. I wish he could be here for me today and play with my girls, but I know he is up in heaven and there are many children there who could use a Papaw to play with.

I miss him so so so much, and I joked that he picked Madi out in the baby factory in heaven. But in all seriousness the Lord sent Madison to me, to our family, at the perfect time. I was expecting when Papaw passed but didn't know it. The Lord takeith and the Lord giveith.

For anyone struggling with a loss please take a couple hours and read Heaven Is For Real, it is amazing!

Childhood and Churches!

I just have to say...I am so thankful for the childhood I had! We came home from an amazing morning at church, and I was reflecting on how fortunate I was to grow up in such a unique atmosphere. Growing up in a family where trying new things was encouraged had a huge impact on my spiritual life. I was raised mostly Catholic, but my parents were open to me trying all different types of churches. My Mom had the same opportunities when she was growing up and she always understood how important it is for young Christians to learn about the different ways people worship. In the 5th grade I was invited to a youth bible study at my best friend's church, and I realized that what I wanted was a relaxed atmosphere where we simply learned from the Bible. Since we were always on the road with our horses, I didn't really get to become an active member of a church on a weekly basis until I was in college. I would go to Catholic church during the week while I was at St Mary's School (the Catholic school I attended until I went to public high school) I went to Horseman for Christ camp, where accepted Christ publicly at age 12. I went to the cowboy church they would have during the cattle changes at the horse shows, and during my sophomore year at Texas State, I was invited to a great church in Wimberley TX, Cypress Creek Church, and attended there until we moved out to VA. Justin and I were members of a great home group of young married couples (some with young children, but Bethany was the oldest of the kids in the group). We really loved CCC and felt at home there and with our small group. It set a very high standard for what we were looking for in a church when we moved to Virginia, and one of the most important things we were looking for was a strong small group to be a part of.

When we arrived in Virginia we started looking for a church, and it took a few months and a lot of trail runs at different churches before we found Lifepoint Church. It is a large and very charismatic church like nothing I have ever experienced before. The music is great and the people are amazing. The first time we went to Lifepoint I was overwhelmed but very excited, the message was great and so was the music. I filled out a first time guest card for the family, and we decided to go back the next Sunday. Lifepoint reached out to us during the week with a thank you card, and an email welcoming us. By the end of the next service I was signing us up for a Lifegroup, and we were ready to put some roots down in our new church. I am so happy that we have found our place, our place we can worship and find fellowship. The Lord let us try several churches before we found LC, and we were faced with some opportunities to really decide as a couple what we want from our church. It allowed for spiritual growth in our marriage even if the hunt for a church was frustrating.

Since joining LC we have joined a small group, called a lifegroup. It has been such an amazing and rewarding experience. Our group is made up of 6 couples and we all have kids, and all of the guys are government employees. The one big difference in our new group from the one we were in at CCC is that we are newlyweds compared to the others in the group, as they have all been married for 10-20 years longer than Justin and I. But the kids are all about the same age and that makes it fun. When all of the kids are in attendance there are 19 children!!! It is a loud and fun time and we always look forward to Friday nights.

I encourage you to find a home church. It is so important, and it really can enrich your faith. You are able to make meaningful friendships with people who are there to encourage and challenge you in you walk, as well as keep you accountable. I also encourage you to let your kids try out other churches, let them see what else is out there. Of course you need to make sure that what the church is teaching is what you want them to learn, but by seeing the way other Churches opporate they are able to make an educated decision of what kind of Church will fit them when they grow up.

Texas Friends check out: www.cypresscreekchurch.com
VA Friends check out: www.visitlifepoint.org
Horse show Friends check out: www.horsemanforchrist.com

Train your child the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6

Oh quiet time...

Madison is getting the hang of sitting up in her Bumbo chair!


My sweet summer time kiddos!




Madison loves to snuggle with that horse!

Bethany was playing with the boys at the playground, and She was totally dominating!

Each afternoon around 2 o'clock Bethany has her quiet time and Madison goes down for a nap. I usually take my quiet time to do laundry, dishes, clean up the house, and do my housewifely duties. Today I decided to have a little quiet time too. Sitting and reflecting on the last 4 months of my life, and how amazed I am at the joy I feel being a stay at home mom. Staying home was a decision that I struggled with because I enjoyed the competitive side of my job, and I really do like to work...just not where I was working....but staying home has been so amazing thus far.

I am so happy that I am able to share this summer time with Bethany and that I get to watch Madison grow and change each day. Being at work for the bulk of Bethany's 'little kid' years makes me realize how much I missed out on by working 12 hours a day. Granted not all working moms have such a crazy work schedule, but I am so thankful the Lord has positioned us to be able for me to stay home. Going down to one income was an adjustment, but one that I (most of the time) willingly adjusted the spending habits to accommodate. I have to say that I am not the best budgeter, and even though we try hard to do the Dave Ramsey deal...I still mess up more than I'd like to admit. I just really enjoy buying things for the girls and for Justin.....Shopping is fun for me, and I am good at it! But I am learning, and we are going back to our envelopes this week so we can get back on track!

I took the girls to story time at the Library this morning, I really enjoyed it and I think they did too! We are very fortunate to live in an area that has tons of childrens programs that are free or close to it. You can catch a story time 3 days a week at various locations around the burg, and can follow it up with a picnic (when the heat index isn't 116 which it is today, so we did the dollar menu at McDonalds and even though I really hate going there, they have an indoor air conditioned playground...so we went there) I love going to the library with Bethany and seeing her little face light up and get so excited to pick out her 3 books and 1 dvd! She also gets to pick 1 book for Madison and she will read it to her. The last 2 dvds that she has gotten were episodes of my old favorite, Mr. Rogers!! I really wanted to find Reading Rainbow or Wishbone, but they didn't have them...I guess that will be a youtube search!

2 At home!

It seems like a late time to post about having 2 at home all day, but our summer really just started. Bethany got home from her visit to her maternal grandma's house last week and we have been having a blast. After much prayer and worry about having a hard time getting her back in the groove, the Lord has blessed me with a very happy and well behaved 6 year old! I can tell that it is hard for her to remember the rules, and at times she almost slips up but she has been trying so hard to be good, and follow the rules. Our house is very different, and I do run a tight ship (or try to) so I know that my high expectations are not always easy for a hyper 6 year old to meet.

BUT she has been great and we have been having so much fun! We went to the library yesterday and she read to her sister. It is so cute to watch them together. Bethany is an amazing big sis and she loves her little sister. She is so helpful, and excited. Madison loves her! Every time Bethany looks at Madi her little eyes light up and she smiles her biggest smile. We have been swimming and coloring and hanging out. It has been a really sweet time so far. I want to take Bethany to do all of the fun stuff we can before school starts, and trying to do it on a budget is the hardest part.

I do commend the Mothers with more than 2 at home, especially when they are both very little. I have several friends with the 2 under 2 combo, and that scares me! When/ if we have another I would like for Madison to be at least 3 when that one comes along. I can remember waiting very impatiently for Bethany's ability to reason to kick in....I think I would have a hard time with 2 completely irrational little ones at home, but if that is the Lord's plan...we will deal.

Anyway if anyone has any summer ideas for me please let me know!! <3

Wives submit to your husbands...

Yes that's right I said the S word....submit! When I was younger and had studied this scripture less I thought it was a terrible thing to 'submit' to your husband. I took that to mean be a doormat, let him rule you, etc. But the thing is, it doesn't mean that at all. The other part of that scripture calls the husband to love his wife as Jesus loved the church...these are both impossible tasks without the holy spirit! (Ephesians 5: 21-30)

I have been reading a couple books this week that focus on being the kind of wife the Lord calls us to be. Being a Godly wife is a challenge we are all given in marriage. It is this commitment to the Lord that should convict us to not only submit to our husbands but to delight in our position as wife and mother. Now I am not saying that you let your husband make every decision for you, because I believe that it is a partnership...but in that partnership the husband has the final decision. If you come to a situation where you do not agree, ultimately he has the final say. Will this always be easy to accept? No. But Justin and I adpoted this when we first got married and I will say that we have never reached a situation where he undermined my opinion or didn't take it into consideration. We come to a consinsous and the worst thing that has happened is he says not right now, but it is very rarely a no. If your husband is loving you as he is called to then he will not abuse his 'veto power'.

Another thing I have learned is to delight in the presence of your spouse and your daily tasks, and that sometimes it is okay to 'fake it until you make it'. Meaning that there are times when you do not delight in making beds, doing laundry, and gasp....listening to ramblings concerning the loop holes in the newest xbox game. But even if you are not excited to do these things, you are called by the Lord to do so....so do them. Before you know it you will be delighting in these things. You will find your marriage in a happier place.

Please check out these 2 books! I am loving these!

1. The Good Christian Wife
2. The Politically Incorrect Wife

I Give Up!!!

Not in the negative sense of the word....but in the amazing sense of the Word. During our prep for our couples' bible study the other night, we were discussing why we find it so hard to give up our anxieties to the Lord, and why we always tend to dump these worries, cares, dreams, etc on our spouse. The answer we came up with was because our spouse is right here, and can give you an immediate tangible response. Rather than when you simply take it to the Lord (as we are called to do) and if we have the faith we are supposed to we should be able to wait on the Lord's answer. It is the waiting on the Lord's answer that I have a hard time with. I am an in the moment type person. If we/I decide to do something and I am all in, I want to do it RIGHT NOW, and I sometimes forget that my timeline is not always the Lord's timeline!

The latest thing I have been struggling with giving up to the Lord is the house buying situation. I know the Lord has a plan for our family, and Justin and I are pretty sure that involves us buying a house here in VA. One of the main reasons we want to buy a home is because the mortgage will be considerably cheaper than our rent....the house we have an offer on is a newly remodeled 5 bedroom 2 bath brick home on .58 of an acre.....it will be about 200 dollars cheaper to pay a mortgage on this house than on our 3 bedroom 2 bath apartment we live in now. Crazy right?

The whole concept of a credit score has always made me angry...okay lets be honest if you went to college and paid for expenses you were broke. If you were like Justin and I you had way too many credit cards and didn't always make the credit card payments top priority. When I graduated from college we lived in a 2 bedroom, 900 square foot condo that Justin bought in 2007. We had enough money from my salary at enterprise and his GI bill to cover the mortgage, electric bill, Bethany's daycare, and not much else. So long story short our credit score was less than stellar when we moved to VA. Thanks to Dave Ramsey's plan we were able to pay off all of our credit cards and debts, except for student loans and the car note. We have rebuilt our credit scores and should be good to go. But not so fast.....even with his salary and our new credit scores and the VA loan program we are still having to stress about getting approval for our mortgage! So frustrating! Please say a little prayer for me as I need all the help I can get in giving up this situation to the Man Upstairs!

So I Give Up! If we are supposed to get this house we will, end of story. Thank you Jesus for all the blessings you have given us, and continue to bless us with each day!

Busy Busy Busy

So many things have been going on since our trip to Texas, it's hard for me to even begin! So I guess I'll start from the beginning! Madison and I got home on Saturday June 25th from Texas, and got to spend the night and all day Sunday with Justin. Monday morning Justin left for a work trip to West Virginia, and Madison and I stayed home. Sunday evening she started running a fever, so I attributed it to the travel, gave her some Tylenol and decided to monitor her temp closely. Monday she was still running hot, so I called the pediatrician and she said it was most likely from the trip and to give her more Tylenol and watch closely. Tuesday she was still running a fever so off to the doc we went. After her exam the doc said the same as she said Monday and sent us home. Tuesday and Wednesday we viewed some homes with our real estate agent...

Wednesday I decided to make an offer on one of the houses that Madi and I looked at, with out Justin seeing it in person!

Thursday we were back at the doctor, and this time she did a ton of tests. After being sent all over town to get blood drawn and antibiotics administered we went home...only to be sent to the hospital that night! Yes, she was admitted to the hospital again!! I was terrified, Justin was in West Virginia, and Justin's mom and grandma were flying in that evening at 4:45 for a visit....we were supposed to go into the city to get them.

Madison and I got to the hospital around 5, Jean and Grandma Anne rented a car, and Justin was on his way home from WV. Everyone made it to the hospital before 10pm.....Still no answers on what was wrong with Madi, but they were pretty sure it was a UTI or Kidney infection.

Friday morning we found out that our offer was accepted!!! We are now under contract! woohoo!

Friday night they did an ultrasound on Madison's kidneys, bladder, lungs, and heart....all checked out fine! At this point we were waiting on the blood and urine cultures to produce their results. All the while she was getting IV antibiotics and had no fever since 4 am Friday.

Spent all day Saturday in the hospital and were discharged Sunday around 11am with antibiotics....it was in fact a UTI. Now we will go in next week for more tests to find out why she has had 2 of them in her short life. If it is kidney reflux the Dr says most babies grow out of it quickly, and if not there is a nonsurgical way to correct it!

It has been a whirlwind for sure but we are just so happy to have her home!! Bethany is still in Texas, and we cannot wait for her to get home!!!